The human among us
by MiapAndaPen
Summary: Everyone knew Stiles as the human of the pack, but 'was he really' is the question they find themselves asking when he gathers them up to reveal his true identity. (Hint: he's not Robin)
1. Chapter 1

Doctor Vallack: writer of the 'Dread Doctors' book (reminding you that you've been experimented on),unmerciful killer, unmercifully killed, devoted scientist... also an asshole.

Stiles, along with many others, read the book. didn't feel anything, he knew that he wouldn't feel anything; the book provided two things: a headache and I don't mean the vanilla-pop-advil-for kind of headache, try the opposite of the word heaven, also the panic attack.

He didn't see them coming but wasn't expecting nothing either.

Stiles glanced at Scott's confused face, a flash of concern circled his eyes, and the rest of his features, he looked like he needn't another someone to worry about but Deaton said it was time, eighteen years is enough; Stiles realized that eighteen is a much scarier number in his situation.

Nine years since the ultimate confession that changed his life.

'You have been watched over as an experimental subject' was one of his mother's last words, he was told that he couldn't yet control his powers, he was told he had powers.

He was told a lot of things.

But he never understood any of them until he almost broke a kid's arm the day he was made fun of, nobody brought that up, he heard enough shouting and even more sufficient names, it was also the day he decided to take the confession seriously and keep the promise: 'I will never tell anyone'

They all watched as he paced nervously around the room, his friend's concern seemed to grow rhythmically with the others' impatience so he tried to make it easier, because he knew if he didn't, they would get stuck here until nightfall or Stiles would completely abandon the idea instead:

"Is everything okay?" Stiles froze at his words like he suddenly forgot how to blink, it was only a matter of seconds before his mind processed what Scott had just said:

"Yeah, yeah it's... no. Uhm" he hesitated "Not really." he gravely says before circling the square shaped room for what must be the sixth time, Stiles was sure that someone, among Kira, Liam and Malia was counting, it was probably Liam.

"Maybe you should just start talking" Lydia suggested, sounding more bored than impatient. Stiles glanced at her, studied her face then shook his head, pacing again as he spoke:

"Deaton said It was time to tell you but I- don't think I know how to tell you, or if I should show you instead" he scratched his head, then his eyes widened. He just said that out loud, didn't he?

"Show us what?" Scott asked through furrowed brows.

"Show you what I was going to show you..."

"Which is...?" The banshee's question sounded more frustrated than bored now, he wasn't going to talk, was he?

"Something." Lydia sighed.

"Is it anything dangerous?" Malia asked, looking around for some faces that might relate to the general paranoia, things were getting scary, everyone knows what happens when Deaton tells you to do the thing.

"Not to any of you." He says and it calms them down a little "Maybe a little."

they all stayed very still, careful not to let anything show on their faces so they could get this done with.

"You all read the book, right?"

"I didn't finish it yet" Kira says.

"Most of your read the book-" he restarts but doesn't know where to look, he's regretting the decision of gathering them, what must they think of him after he says it, no, stop predicting, just say it.

"I... I'm an experiment." He finally releases and still doesn't know how he managed that much emotion into it, it's just a confession. Stiles worries when the only thing he can hear is the sound of his own thinking, why are they so quiet?

"By the dread doctors?" Malia asks, he's seeing a flash of anger but chooses to glance to Scott.

Scott is quiet too.

He's frowning, he's everything but normal and of course Stiles expected that, he's expected almost every and any reaction he would get from the moment he knew, Deaton of course was a huge help in this.

 _Say something_. He almost mouthes, but his lips just part silently.

"Since when?" his friend asks, his eyes glassy.

Stiles hesitates for a good moment before choosing to go honest from A to Z, he's regretting that he's going to regret it:

"... since before I was born" a long time ago.

"So you don't remember it?" Lydia asks, he realizes for the second time that he's not doing the eye-contact thing, where are walls when you need to stare at them, where are they?

Stiles shakes his head and braces himself for the questions, the good and the bad ones.

"If we can't smell anything on you, then... what are you?" Scott's beta, Liam asks but Stiles sees it hidden between layers of fakery, it's who are you, who were you this whole time and who are you going to be from now on?

No matter how hard he tries to push the thought away, the only word that came to mind at that moment was _a monster_.

What else could he be when all he's brought to this world -even before he was born- was death and destruction?

How could he define himself as a good soldier when all the wars he's fought where against unselfishness for himself, it was survival and living after survival.

Maybe he shouldn't be too honest after all...


	2. Chapter 2

"Years ago, I started having these weird dreams, sleepwalking, I would go for hours not knowing what I've been up to..." Stiles says, he's going a perfect circle around the answer, he's giving hints "that was two weeks after my mom died" he could see Scott is listening, the others might be paying more attention because he's never actually talked to any of them about it, not this way anyway...

"Remember Barry Silvester?" he tells Scott a bit quieter "or that time I fell down the roof, the stairs, lacrosse injuries that always healed faster than they should" Malia is frowning, Kira next to her is too, but little patience that she's absorbing from Scott is showing on her face.

"My mom told me before she... -she told me everything" it suddenly feels like someone is pouring lemon drops straight into his eyes and he can't help the sinking feeling that overwhelms his senses next...

' _Don't_ hold my hand' she flinched her skinny face away, the blinding lights from the hospital gave her face a color he'd never forget: pale bare sick skin and two eyes that barely looked back, she had a mouth that he didn't remember speaking other than in the raw tone she used that night that was every night his dad wasn't around: ' _You_ filthy piece of demon abomination, if the doctors didn't cherish you so much, if your father didn't love you and if you weren't so far from reach I would've sucked the breath out of your lungs with pleasure"

And poor little Stiles got the smile erased from his face, tears streamed generously. Like a sunflower on Pluto, didn't find the source of anything, not even words, just sadness in a liquid form.

Claudia, during her last days, was the truth telling machine that only the dread doctors could shut down (by wiping away some of her memories) the ones left were the necessary things she told her son, not caring to act loving, she probably hated herself more than she hated him; nearly all the files were taken care of; he was both confused and devastated after her death, it was a long time after that when he realized what he really was.

"When the time is right... they'll be coming for you... for _all_ of you"

._._._.

"Stiles, breathe."

Stiles gasps to his left where Scott is steadying him, he's pretty sure he's on the verge of passing out and the chaos of concerned faces and mixed voices isn't helping either.

 _breathe_.

think about something else.

 _drifting_.

"Stay with me." he can barely see Scott's face before the urgent thought spams again.

 _I'm going to die!_

While his hand is still on his aching chest, he finally slows down when everyone in the room realizes that's no way of dealing with someone during a panic attack, they even give him some space, it's probably Scott or Lydia's idea.

"Sorry." He says wiping his cheeks, reassuring Scott who went back to his spot.

"It's okay." The other replies casually. It was even more embarrassing that they were all gathered there. He should've thought about that earlier.

Stiles clears his throat, completely forgetting where he left at, scared that remembering would repeat this very same situation. Knowing that most of them could either hear his heartbeat, smell his emotions or read his facial expressions (if not all three) only made it worse.

"so... yeah, I was experimented on, that's the main and only reason why I can seem to do stuff that regular people are incapable of. That could also explain why I'm still alive..."

"... but you're not a chimera?!" Malia asks.

"part Human part something"

"something like our something or giant-seven-headed scorpion something?" Liam wonders out loud, they all look back to Stiles, expecting, again.

"You might want to judge yourself" he replies and even though the answer isn't satisfying enough for anyone no one elaborates, Scott breaks the brief silence to ask curiously:

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I wasn't sure myself, Deaton only told me-"

"Does Deaton have anything to do with the dread doctors that we don't know about?" Lydia asks in clear suspicion, Scott purses his lips.

"I don't know but when the disappearances started, he was the one who convinced me to tell you guys"

"you mean you weren't going to?!" You mean he always knew.

"Of course I was" comes almost instantly but it's an obvious lie "Why wouldn't I"

._._._.

"okay..." He repeats for the fourth time to the jar of mountain ash in front of his fingers "here's what's gonna happen-"

"Just do it." Lydia interrupts.

"okay" without a word Stiles pours the powder down the wooden table in a circle, they all stare when his index touches the border; not the border, nothing, it touches nothing but thin air, that's all you hear before the mountain ash gives him entrance by spreading sideways away, Stiles only looks up to round eyes.

"How did you do that?"

"It just kind of happens" is the shortest answer he can offer, but also this demonstration is the fastest thing he can do before having to make things more complicated.

"Uh- Scott, remember the part where the doctors come back to their experiment subjects? to see how they're doing?" Scott nods, skepticism not leaving his eyes.

"I think they might be coming back for me"

"But you're not a failure" Stiles chooses not to answer that, it would take hours to convince Scott about the many side-effects that he'd never noticed, all the times that he'd almost done something that he shouldn't, all the times that he _did_ something that he shouldn't.

"Even if you are, we'll find a way to stop this" he looks up to hear. Stiles is not surprised by their attitude as much as he became by the events of the next day...

* * *

 **In case you're confused, things will surely be more clear in the next chapters, this is like the intro to what Stiles is ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

The pack looked like they needed some time to process this, either individually or in 'groups' Stiles was ready to give them as much time as it would be necessary as long as they would all agree upon two points: the first one would be why he his it all along, and the second one would be that he'd be okay (or mostly) if they didn't really accept what he was.

Stiles didn't even understand it at first, it was almost as if a really really bad April fool's prank was pulled on him by Deaton, except that it wasn't April fool's and Deaton looked dead serious.

'You have to tell them' he had said 'sooner or later, you'll have to explain why they're coming after you'

'But what if they don't understand, what if I end up telling them more than they're willing to accept?'

'They'll come around eventually, it's better when they know'

Okay, Deaton Yoda-ying him might've been a slightly good idea, but it wasn't that good after all, Stiles in their eyes looks he'd never imagined before, it also surprised him how no one showed anger, unless you count Lydia for asking about Deaton and his involvement in all of this; he also doubted Scott would go as far as to asking him, but he better do that, or do at least anything that could get them absorb the idea before his life would be even more on the line than it already is.

The doctors made to town even before he could tell the pack, how bad could things even get, aside from the fact that they're not your typical doctors, they've never heard of the oath and they're definitely not anything that's going to climb up your window at night and whisper 'I love you Rapunzel' Ever?! However, they might do the whispering thing, but in a very robotic incomprehensible voice that states whether you're going to live or not; oh! and they also take themselves very seriously so watch your words and steps next time you stand in their presence.

Stiles was asleep while this warning was made, that's probably why things turned out the way they did:

His room was warm, his bed unmade (and that's because he's sleeping on it), the next important thing would be the shadow that was reflected into the room, duplicating into three, the doctors came for him.

Their boots weren't silent when they touched the ground, Stiles rolled over to his side and just as his eyes decided to open he saw the thing that kept them so, petrified with the thought of death that he knew was still coming, Stiles tried to run but it was too late.

They were three.

He was alone.

One of them (the pathologist) was holding something that looked terrifyingly like a needle, and terrifyingly isn't used for exaggeration purposes here.

It was big. and inside it something looked greenish, or purplish, or both. The room was dark, and the near impossibility to see the details made Stiles even more eager to fight, because even if fear scared him half to death at that moment he was still willing to fight for what was left of his life, he also happened to realize at that moment that they were all holding him still, preparing him for the pain that was to come.

The needle could only be getting bigger as it approached his neck, and before its tip touched his shaking neck, where his veins trembled and blood ran fast, he saw what color it was.

It was black. Pitch black.

Black like the night, black like no flower, black like Stiles' world in the next hour; but nothing like the colors that didn't even exist; the last thing Stiles saw before falling asleep.

"Project fully activated"

"... I lu _'v you too.._."

._._._.

Stiles woke up on his own, and he knew something was up when his own mouth tasted sour, like when you're sick, or just pu-

Oh.

So that's where the smell came from... right next to his face, Stiles looked around him and remembered what a hell of a nightmare last night was, the needle (his hand subconsciously went to his neck, the area where the needle was placed stang a little but thankfully nothing alerting) but Stiles remembered that he had to tell someone about it, just in case... things went crazy, like if he ended up 'accidentally' blowing up the whole town while on his way to the grocery store.

Stiles walked a few steps to the front door then stopped halfway through when he remembered something.

Really, it just started with a small smile but then he couldn't control it, and it just went out of control and he was choking.

He told a dread doctor that he loved him. too.

Like, how messed up could he be already?! he's so far gone in his romance hopelessness that he's starting to confess love to some -things- that are experimenting on him and sticking needles of poisonous toxins in his system that make him go crazy.

Maybe that's what the whole experiment is anyway: the dread doctors are just looking for the perfect partner in their experiments, that's like an alternate ending for Frankenstein.

They'll probably start flirting with him the next time they see him, with their robotic voices, after whatever they've injected worked its full magic:

'Is that rigor mortis or are you just happy to see the me .'

'Seven. Sound. Fine.'

Wait, there are three of them, does that mean...?

What kind of monologue talks about these things, seriously?!

Stiles gets so worked up in his laughing that he doesn't notice his dad has been standing there for a good moment, looking at him with a seriously concerned expression on his face, and he doesn't have anything to say to that but:

"I have an explanation for that"

"I don't need it, Scott's waiting for you outside and it's urgent, whatever it is, I want you to be back here in one piece when it's finished"

Stiles nods briefly, wondering what could his friend possibly want from him, that is just as urgent as what he was originally planning to tell him.

Scott is standing outside, he turned to him once the door was open and gave him a frown that Stiles knew that it translated 'urgent' into 'leave everything behind, someone's hurt' look.

It surprised him when it wasn't all that he was talking about:

"Deaton thinks they might be coming for you tonight" he warned.

"They- uh, kind of arranged for that earlier"

"What do you mean?" Scott looked puzzled.

"I was going to tell you" he explains, rubbing his neck "they came last night"

"Did they do anything?"

"That they did," he showed him the now barely visible mark (yet still blueish, because even if they're 'doctors' stabbing someone with a needle isn't usually done in the dark)

"What is that?"

"Something black, from this _very_ big needle"

"Do you feel any different?" The look on Scott's face always made Stiles want to lie for some reason, but since there was no need to at the moment, he didn't.

"Nope, and hopefully will not" the other nodded, and Stiles didn't regret his honesty until they were seated in the car and he was attempting to start it, but it wouldn't start.

That's how he kept seeing it until Scott pointed out that they've been at the stop sign for way longer than they should and that also:

"If you keep holding the wheel like that, you're probably gonna hurt yourself" Stiles didn't believe that until he saw what he's been doing, hands on the wheel, knuckles white, and not in any way healthy; the least he could do was apologise and start the car again until Scott offered to drive.


	4. Chapter 4

Scott couldn't grasp the idea yet, Stiles was human his whole life, he never smelt different and now, all of a sudden, the dread doctors show up, people start dying, experiments are made from precisely nothing and the next thing he knows his best friend comes up to him claiming he was a supernatural.

Deaton sure wasn't lying when he said things would go really bad.

Stiles next to him wasn't silent the whole drive and even then Scott couldn't help but focus on everything else beside the road ahead of him:

"I think you're underestimating the danger here" Scott tilted his head.

"What danger?"

"Exactly!" Stiles exclaimed "you can't even see it, I just told you that I'm literally a walking experiment that is possibly a threat to your life Scott!"

"What do you expect me to lock you up somewhere?"

"Until we know what they did to me, I say yes you should lock me up" Scott suddenly recalled the sheriff's frown from the threshold, the jump in his heart when he was questioned about Stiles.

"Did you- tell your dad about any of this?" he asked.

"No" Stiles looked away "it's better if he doesn't know, where are you going?" Scott turned the wheel to the opposite direction and was driving away from his house.

"You should tell your dad something, you can't keep him in the dark, not again"

"Scott, no. He's the last person you'd want to tell-" Stiles' hand went up to his neck and he winced.

"stop the car" he said in a trembling voice and opened the door before his friend could pull over.

They ended up on the side of the road, Scott thankfully stopped the car in time for Stiles to fall over and throw up what must be a bottle worth of black liquid. hopefully not blood.

"What is that?"

"I think that's what they injected me"

"Why would your body reject it?" Stiles muttered an 'I don't know'

._._._.

"We can't wait for the dread doctors again" Lydia objected, looking around for support.

"We'll keep watch" Scott suggested "every one of us"

"What about the other chimeras?" Kira asked.

"We'll watch them too." Scott added "but Stiles, we need to know everything before we do this"

"What do you mean, you already kno _w_ everything" he stalled.

"I mean we don't know the only thing that we were supposed to know from the very beginning. What _are_ you?" crystal clear, no where to escape. Stiles sighed and started pacing around the room:

"I'm not human, Scott" he confessed "not even close to it, and Liam was _right_ when he asked from the beginning. You have the right to know" the others waited for him to finish and eventually, when he closed the first circle he did:

"Deaton had a copy of the original files, the experiment results, test results and such" he said "he showed me everything he had and told me some of what I already knew from my mom, that I only looked human, or gave the illusion that I was but I'm not. At first I didn't believe it but then it turned out I was wrong

I don't know if there's a name for it, but I sure can do more than control mountain ash"

"What else can you do?" Scott though not pleased, still insisted.

"I can stop what we've all started" Stiles said "the nemeton, I mean. I can stop all of this, with just a snap, if the doctors don't find me before that" and that's ... not the kind of answer he was hoping for.

"Okay" Liam stands up "so you're powerful, less human than any of us in this room" Scott glanced briefly in his way "but you wouldn't say what you are and think that your help will stop us from asking questions, we can smell your cunning" Liam's sudden snap furrowed brows, mainly Scott's.

"but you can't smell Theo's..." he rubbed his neck.

"we've talked about this" Scott said lowly.

"No, we didn't" Stiles denied, suddenly hooked to the change of subject "I talked and you didn't listen, no one did"

"you're right, Stiles" Theo suddenly appeared, like _suddenly_. No one invited nor expected him there "I'm an intruder, you have the right to be suspicious of me" Stiles glared at him:

"Did you use the dog door?" Theo smiled:

"I talked to Melissa, she said I'll find you guys here"

"Did something else happen?" Scott worriedly inquired.

"Yes" he said gravely "I think I found another Chimera"

._._._.

Said other chimera was a Natalie, freshmen and according to Theo 'was acting weird' and showed some of the signs, including full on black out during English and Raeken was the one taking her to the nurse's office. That's when he noticed the silver blood running down from her left ear.

"I didn't tell her anything yet" he said "thought you would"

Scott hated delivering bad news, but if it meant saving her life he would do more than that. It also happened to be on his watch, since he suggested to go first.

Natalie hid behind her hair when Scott stated her symptoms, then finally broke free when truth was told:

"WHAT?!"

"It's true." Stiles supported, he hadn't spoken since the beginning of the interaction.

"but don't worry, we'll find them before they can take you"

"Take me where?" Her eyes widened considerably.

"we don't know" he shook his head.

"I have to go home" Natalie said, looking at them in a row, they nodded.

"Wait!" She said before they left "can you help my friend Ashley? she's been having trouble like me too"

"Where is she right now?" Scott asked warily.

"She said she'll stay at the library"

"Theo, drive Natalie home, make sure she's safe" he almost turned around until he noticed Stiles, his eyes darted before he added: "Stiles-"

"coming" he said, not before shooting Theo an ' _I have eyes everywhere_ ' look.

._._._.

They almost settled on the library being empty before Scott heard it coming from the last range of shelves on the far left.

"someone's crying" he whispered lowly to Stiles, who was following close behind.

The girl's hair was over her face in no manner reassuring, and even with both her hands over her face and her knees close to her chest, the glowing eyes weren't something so easy to hide, especially not from a werewolf.

"Ashley..." Scott got a little closer to her, she twitched but wouldn't look up:

"Get away!" she half cried, half growled.

"It's okay... your friend Natalie told us"

"what did she tell you?" still not looking up.

"she told us that you needed help, we can help" very slowly, Ashley looked up. And well, Scott's seen worse. That's why he thought flashing his alpha red eyes would be reassuring.

It turned out it wasn't.

The young chimera's transformation almost complete, she pushed past him with a growl, he stumbled backwards leaving Stiles the only one in sight, the latter only succeeded in holding her still for half a second before she growled again and ran out. Not without throwing a punch their way, they managed to both get hit with one swing.

Scott quickly picked himself up from the floor and started running out as well.

He reached the hall just in time to find Malia flashing her blue eyes at the still not calmed Ashley, he helped hold her still as he spoke again:

"Ashley, we're here to help. We're not gonna hurt you" she struggled one last time before Malia added: "trust us" everyone let go eventually when her eyes became a human green.

"How?"

._._._.

They drove Ashley to her house and instructed her, very clearly, three times in a row that she had to call at the least changes she notices, and especially if she starts bleeding silver, or if she loses control. They didn't know what she was either, the werewolf part they knew though.

As for the other one, Natalie. Scott trusted Theo with the same task even after Stiles' constant strange disaproval of him.

"Your shift ends now?" Stiles asked as nightfall began to rise.

"I don't think so, after last night... maybe we should've told your dad at least, he could help"

"I'll handle it from here, thank you"

"Why don't you want him to know?" Scott frowned.

"Trust me, Scott. Nothing good's gonna come out of that." he waved at him from the jeep before it roared into life and drove into the sunset.


	5. Chapter 5

Scott contemplated calling the sheriff -for safety measures- but eventually didn't. Stiles was still his friend after all, he wouldn't let the fact that he's so well hidden his identity all this time change this, right?

The truth is, one in his place would most likely never forgive him and consider his confession a betrayal that deserved nothing less than execution for punishment. Scott was lied on, that should be enough to set his claws upon every memory of Stiles and get the truth, honest and complete with little to no awkward conversations where he got more heart jumps than he ever wanted to count.

Even while he was forced to say it by Deaton (who was in even more secrecy than him) his friend still lied. Scott was sure every pack member felt just the same shock as him, but everyone was letting little show because they knew nothing still, like meeting him for the first time.

Every time Scott tried to sleep, his mind brought up yet another sign he'd missed that was just right there: something he'd said, did, didn't do, a slip of the tongue wrapped up in two extra blankets of sarcasm and subject change. He remembered Lydia and Kira were looking up stuff, Malia was about the only one showing more than the rest, the coyote hated fakery and more than that lies, that's why she didn't fake a smile over her death glare, Liam and her would be on the same subject here.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

Stiles: calling.

Then not answering.

He just left him... maybe he shouldn't have. Scott tried calling back another time but he still wouldn't answer, unable to let it go he went to his house and was even more alert when he couldn't spot the jeep there.

And that's when he decided to track his scent, he said he was going home and the sheriff didn't know...

._._._.

Theo was the one who found out about Natalie, she freaked out when she started bleeding silver and called the first person she could before her hands were too sticky. Her mind voiced the undeniable truth: they were coming for her, who were they? what did they want?

Natalie's prayers were thought to be hitting the ceiling and coming back empty until from the curtains of her unlocked window Theo appeared, taking in her state he asked:

"Are your parents home?"

"Downstairs" she whispered "they think I'm sleeping"

"Can you jump?" he gestured to the window, she swallowed back a cry:

"Don't worry, I've done it before" he nodded:

"follow me" but she looked around her room, wishing she had told her parents how much she loved them. What if she never came back?

"Come on!" Natalie was on the floor, following...

._._._.

Stiles was on his way home, driving so slow he was barely moving, from a distance peeked a familiar car, Stiles slowed down even more -not a habit- to see exactly what was happening, his attention perked up the moment the owner started looking left, right and all around just like the day Liam and him tracked the guy.

Theo was definitely hiding something, but _what_?

Once he made it to the car, dropped something larger and heavier than a trash bag in the trunk then drove ahead Stiles could almost see the window of opportunity outstretched ahead of him, he had to follow...

The jeep didn't move until the other vehicle disappeared behind a building, the driver realized after a few more turns that they were going to school. It made even less sense when Theo stopped in the middle of the lacrosse field, carrying the uncovered bag with one hand. He stopped at what should be the middle and dropped the bag again. Stiles, at this point was watching from a distance, under the bleachers. waiting...

"I know you're here" the werewolf said without turning around causing Stiles to jump a little, he finally left his hiding spot to clearly see what was going on. Hand in pocket.

The human walked a few feet barely when the other faced him, the bag moved at the same time.

"You must be really serious about this Stiles... to come all the way to here" he smiled, taking a step forward whilst Stiles suddenly realized where his curiosity led him: cold, dark, empty lacrosse field, a moving bag and the Theo Raeken.

"You betcha" he answered, audacity feeding veracity he more of ordered than demanded an answer: "what's in the bag?"

"You'll know." he turned around, bent down, the thing in the bag started moving faster, as if trying to escape; Stiles expected the worst, hand still in pocket.

Theo finally unzipped the bag, a muffled voice was promising a scream, a human one. Stiles dared forward to witness the struggling teenager, tied up and mouth taped. He recognized Natalie's eyes after taking another step, her tears well blended with the silver blood. Stiles raised his eyebrows:

"She's already gone" he arched an eyebrow at Stiles' hand which he pulled out as if burnt "It's a good thing you called Scott by the way" Theo looked around, Natalie had stopped struggling "he'll want to see this" he started walking away from her and she resumed on her attempts to break free, Stiles didn't move.

"see how much you've failed him?" he stalled "but hey, no one paid you to chase your tail"

"That should be my line" he grinned to the other's confusion which was answered very soon "Natalie here, as I can sense, is a very special kind of chimera" he paused with a grin:

"and however different, so are you..." Stiles searched the cold for any ounce of certainty, what was he implying? and more importantly, did he know?

._._._.

Stiles' unanswered phone rang in Scott's ears but what both bothered and scared him was the smell of blood that filled the air heavy.

The werewolf followed, it was getting stronger the more he walked. Finally, he saw it before it stopped: silver blood, a dead body... another dead body.

Natalie, from this morning was lying motionless next to a ripped off bag. two very alive people were present too: Stiles and Theo, the latter was standing, watching her sadly, Scott could relate, he picked Stiles' phone from the floor and called 911 before noticing his friend's hands invisibly shackled on his lap, while he sat miserably on the floor, a red stain was on his chin.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"I tried to protect her!" the other werewolf cried "I thought I could stop them from killing her" Theo's voice was forced into his ears for Scott was thinking of something entirely different, he searches Stiles' eyes for a sign that would indicate he was wrong.

"- she attacked me and I... I _panicked_ and... I swear I didn't mean for this to happen"

Stiles' hands were shaking, they had blood on them.

"They said she was a failure." Theo finished, his heartbeat still steady. Scott put his hand on Stiles' shoulder and asked as naturally as his clenched stomach and the flooding thoughts in his head would allow:

"Are you okay? did they do something?" he glanced at Theo for clarification:

"I... took sometime to heal" Stiles' eyes were on him for a second and Scott heard a jump when he added: "They knocked me out"

"Are you okay?" he repeated himself. Stiles bit his lower lip:

"Which one of us are you asking?" Scott released his hand.

"I healed." Theo clarified hesitantly.

"I'm fine" Stiles' smile didn't go with the blood on his chin "they knocked me out too" another jump, he must've mistaken his sigh for a laugh. Scott narrowed his eyes hearing the sirens approach.


	6. Chapter 6

"I know you're hiding something." Scott took Theo aside just before the cars could pull over: "Tell me." The other werewolf glanced over the alpha's shoulder, where Stiles was still on the floor.

"Not now." And Scott is sure that for a moment, he looked uncomfortable, almost afraid. But for what reason would he be?

The sheriff eventually showed up in the scene and asked:

"Another chimerea , I suppose?"

"It's chimera..." Scott corrected.

"Whatever you call them, to everyone around here it's another dead body" he turned to his son "Stiles, you've got some explaining to do."

"It was actually me" Theo jumped in "who brought her here."

"You kidnapped her?" he lowered his eyebrows.

"She tried to kill me." He defended himself.

"So you brought her to the middle of a lacrosse field!" The older Stilinski turned to his son once more "How would you explain this, mister genius?"

"Easy" the other replied distantly "say we were out for practise then found her."

"Practise? In the middle of the night, where's your equipment?"

"Scott always keeps his lacrosse stick in the trunk" Scott actually did "we're a bunch of rebellious teenagers who happen to suck at lacrosse so much that we're not allowed to practise with the other players, so we come at night... _sir_ " he said it toneless like he's been learning it for some time. Stiles sure could lie.

"Okay, that's enough" The cop looked around "I'll have it from here, any lead on the docs?"

"They're gone" Theo answered "they eliminate the failures then leave."

"Leave where? to space?"

"We don't know" Scott regretted, the other nodded:

"Okay, get home." he said "and Stiles" the younger Stilinski stopped "I hope I find you home when I come back."

"I hope so too." he replied.

Scott thanked Theo for being there and had to drive Stiles home, who stayed too silent for himself:

"Is something wrong?" Scott asked, frowning.

"No." he answered automatically.

"I think you should be more precised." Stiles turned to him then looked ahead even though he wasn't driving.

"This is the most precised It can get."

"I mean," Scott gave the thought an extra turn in his head when he paused before finishing "did something happen that I don't know of?" The same question he's asked him the week following his mother's death, when Stiles was apparently still struggling to figure out the mystery behind her last words, but Scott didn't know about them then and now ten years later he gets the same answer:

"Define ' something ' ."

"The dread doctors. Did they hurt you?" Scott noticed his lips curl at the edges in a smirk, so naturally, he asked:

"what?"

"Nothing" as if realizing his slip up, he erased the smile twice as quickly as he drew it "I just find it weird, you know, that you still care... even after I told you."

"Shouldn't I?" Stiles raised an eyebrow and Scott looked ahead this time, that's when Stiles finally answered:

"No, you shouldn't." Scott didn't say anything back so Stiles spoke again:

"And you also shouldn't get your hopes too up about helping the other chimeras, or me. Chances are we're all going to end up one-eighty-sevens somewhere."

"I don't think so."

"You don't have to think so" they had arrived "you'll see so." and he left before Scott could argue further.

._._._.

As it turned out, Stiles meant every word of their conversation that night. It started to clear up the moment Scott opened his eyes to the phone next to him.

Ashley was calling this time, and Scott knew it was trouble even before he answered it:

"Ashley."

"Help me, please" her voice was panic laced.

"What's wrong?"

"The doctors! I think they're coming for me!" And she gave him an address that he could only remember if it was scraped on a piece of paper, he promised to be there as soon as he could once it was. Neither Theo nor Stiles would pick up so he went solo.

The address wasn't very precised, and relying on chemosignals alone would hardly be of any help since the place reeked of chemicals, or sweat, or both. The werewolf eventually found his way by following several silver blood misleading trails, then a scream that called for help, he arrived just in time when the docs were about to do it, or shortly before that, since there was time for 'are-you-okay-no' questions and blood messes.

The geneticist used a can, adjusted the mask a couple of times, which only made the dread doctors walk slower and the blur that was their figures was -if possible- even more frightening.

"Why did you walk so far from home?" He asked, watching them approach, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Your friend said this was the safest place to hide from them" she answered, not minding the blood still running from her nose, Ashley was dying and this was probably the last conversation she was ever going to have with anyone but she still had hope in her eyes, she sure hoped he was the hero that saved the city from every peril. He hoped he was too, at that moment.

"My friend?" He wondered aloud.

"Yes, the one who came with you yesterday" then she pointed "that one."

And in this mess appeared his recently confirmed to be inhuman friend: Stiles, staring back from a distance, waving at them, the werewolf barely had time to be shocked when their boots loudly hitting the floor reminded Scott of his mission, he extended his claws, flashed his eyes and jumped forward, but he could barely reach them when he was met with the wall, then the floor.

It didn't do much damage, but his skeleton was sure enough breakable, not broken, but just fragile enough to feel the pain. He didn't drift before hearing the robotic voice speak:

"All failure must be eliminated." Scott's eyes were half open and the position in which he was going to pass out allowed him to see just how much she'd pleaded and how little they'd listened before they killed her.

Stiles woke him up shortly afterwards -or what felt like it anyway-:

"Heya."

"You brought her here." Were Scott's first words.

"She told me she didn't want her parents to freak out. And I suggested to walk as far as she could."

"She called you first" Scott put the pieces together "you could've helped her but..."

"Not when she was already gone." the other cut him off.

"That was..." no word would fit but the Stilinski fished the words he couldn't find:

"Necessary." He replied "I'm sorry you had to learn it the hard way but we're running out of time and I needed you to trust me less" Scott frowned.

"Or never?" he suggested bitterly.

"No, just less" Stiles answered simply "so next time you _listen_..."

"Don't do this again." The werewolf ordered.

"Of course" he smiled "it's your choice."

"I'm serious" the other nodded.

The smile fell from his face when he looked at Ashley's body, Scott did the same.

"Damn" Stiles commented, his friend stared at him "This could've easily been me..." But then he suddenly inquired:

"Ever wonder when I'm gonna call, Scott?" Scott shot a confused glare his way, asking for clarifications, but only got silence.

"You gonna call your dad?" Scott asked to break it.

"Already did" Stiles answered "C'mon they'll be here any minute."


	7. Chapter 7

"Failure must be exterminated." one of the machines exhaled steam while the doctors insisted:

"Destroyed."

"I know." Theo confirmed, fighting the urge to groan.

"The project will be deactivated." They added to his displeasure.

"You know what happened the last time you activated your project," he reminded them since goosebumps often did the job for him.

"It is the only successful experiment," The surgeon got a step closer at that then added:

"The others responded negatively."

"I can replace him." He suggested.

"No." and although he displayed no different tone thant the one he usually did, Theo felt dismissed.

"He's a chimera too." He further argued.

"No." He repeated and Theo blinked away, so now he was that useless experiment they use to compare, he needs to get a pack before they finish what they've started... but Stiles keeps getting in his way and the least thing he wants is a repeat of that night.

"The project will be deactivated." a voice startles him out of his thoughts and he fails to shrug the shiver that runs down his spine.

._._._.

Kira finally finished the book she was supposed to read, it's now untouched on the table, next to her school materials.

"So, how'd you find it?" Lydia inquired in the library, while Scott was drowning in homework.

"Interesting" she nodded to herself.

"that's all?" Lydia sounded almost disappointed. Kira sighed.

"I could barely make out the words." she regrets.

"How so?"

"It's- a fox thing." Kira admits, but doesn't elaborate and Scott understands since he doesn't do much of that either, unless it's for another werewolf who needs help, like Liam on full moons.

Silence sat among them for a second before Scott resumed doing his homework, Lydia's explaining saved him hours of staring into it without actually getting it done. Liam joined them not much after and, like everyone involved, was curious to know:

"Did you guys find anything from your research?" He asks and Kira sighs.

"Nothing we don't already know."

"Do we even know anything?" and he's right, Scott noticed too, whenever he comes to think of it, the only thing they got so far is that Stiles is not human, but what sets him apart from the other chimeras? No clue, except that he might be the oldest one... the first one, maybe?

"Right, we don't." Liam answers his own question after the silence that got everyone over thinking. "And we won't know anything if we don't ask."

"We already did that." was Kira's response.

"You could still ask Deaton." she added an option.

"The last time I tried, he said he'd prefer if it's Stiles who tells us."

"Except that Stiles lied and contradicted himself when he did that."

"What about his dad? Does he know anything?"

"No," Scott answered "and Stiles doesn't want to tell him."

"Why not?" Lydia wondered but he just shrugged, having no clue about that either.

"I'd tell him." Liam offered.

"Hi" Stiles slapped his book on the table, Scott shared a glance with the others, wondering how long had he been there without anyone's notice.

"what?" he asked, sitting down. Scott inhaled deeply twice before realizing that the smell around him has changed, it was the unsettling, stomach twisting feeling that he recognized as stress.

Stiles always does that now, turning the air into one of discomfort with just his presence, it's like he carries it around with him when he goes... wherever he goes.

"Nothing." someone muttered, this aura, is what's stopping them from asking.

Stiles acted mostly normal through the time he stayed with him and it made Scott relax a bit more but still avoided the important subject. He started reading from his book and Scott would've stayed to keep watch but had class, and he couldn't afford to fail so he left.

._._._.

After school, Liam went to the Stilinski house, without seeking permission from Scott, hoping to find the sheriff and talk to him and _hopefully_ Stiles wouldn't be there to disturb them or... stop him.

He sighs in temporary relief at the good start when it's the older Stilinski who opens the door and greets him in with a smile:

"Is Stiles home yet?" he shakes his head.

"Good."

the smile falls when he reveals that he has something important to tell him, and that it's about Stiles.

The sheriff blinks at him to start and Liam fights the clutching in his stomach, he has no idea how the man would react to the news...

"Um... so, you haven't been noticing anything from him lately?"

"What did he do?"

"Nothing, it's something that's been done to him." The other's eyes widen and he realizes that that sounded more reassuring in his head.

"I don't mean-" Liam sighs, almost understanding the struggle Stiles has been going through the night he confessed, or... lied "A few day ago, Stiles gathered us -the pack" The sheriff nodded "and he told us something about himself, something he's been hiding from everyone. Even you." He watched the sheriff wipe his face and felt bad, maybe he should've let Stiles handle this with his dad after all.

"He told us that the dread doctors experimented on him." He lets it slip. Stiles was the one who told that it's better when they know, why couldn't he be an example?

"What? When?" The sheriff laced a concern in his tone.

"He doesn't remember, Deaton and his mother told him." he watched him carefully but the Stilinski looked at the floor and muttered a name, after a pause, he looked back at him:

"So, he's like- a... chimera?" Liam nodded in silence.

"A werewolf?"

"No, we would've been able to smell it off of him." The beta couldn't stand watching the sheriff's face grow more miserable with each provided information and decided to call it a day, he walks back outside after goodbyes, glances in the way of the color blue and realizes Stiles' car is parked outside.

He's leaning against it, as if he'd been waiting.

A scary thought suddenly crosses his mind, _what if he knew somehow?_ but he shrugs it off and tries for a smile:

"Hey."

"It's dark" Stiles uncrossed his arms "I'll drive you home."

Liam felt like he had no choice but to accept, so he did.

._._._

The ride home was disturbing.

Mainly because Stiles wasn't showing any real indication that he knew what he just did but somehow that made it worse, somehow his non-reaction was more scary and Liam knows it's a little ridiculous, to be afraid. Stiles doesn't have super hearing. He recently just confirmed that he wasn't a giant seven-headed scorpion thing plus, he is the werewolf.

All of these reasons didn't calm him down though, he had no idea what Stiles was and didn't know what he could do, besides Stiles' anger, even before he confessed, was something not to mess with, maybe that made a lot more sense now than before, because Liam could smell the rage that was underneath the controlled surface, and something about its eruption made him feel even more uneasy than before.

"Seatbelt." Stiles said out of nowhere.

So Liam put the seatbelt, even though he's a werewolf and could argue that he doesn't need it, but what if Stiles decides to crash them somewhere?!

No, that's silly. Liam is giving himself off by doing what he says. But he hardly ever visits the Stilinski house, so there isn't any good reason why he would be going there today after the library talk, and Liam knows that any deviation from that presumption would be a confession of guilt, he should be more careful.

"We were going to order dinner." Stiles interrupted the silence again, Liam was confused for a second before, yeah, he saw him leaving the house. He's asking what he was doing there.

"I'm not hungry." He says instead, like the smart intellect that he is.

"well, he is." Liam glances to Stiles but the other is looking ahead with a ghost of a smirk on his face... or he's just seeing things.

Silence lingers longer this time and Liam is in no way tempted to break it, he'd rather confront the uncomfortable quiet than Stiles.

Occasionally, he glances at him, gets a glimpse of hands choking the wheel or drumming messily against it, impatiently it seems and they can't get home fast enough.

The radio went static as soon as he dared enough to turn it on, well it could be going static on itself anyway since this is an old car. But for some reason Liam remembered: the dread doctors' presence is known to cause that.

They stopped at a red light and Liam contemplated apologizing; sooner or later Stiles will know it's him, it he doesn't already...

"Did you find anything on Theo yet?" He starts off with common ground, maybe that would make it easier.

"Yeah."

"Was it anything about his parents?" he wondered and Stiles grip tightened on the wheel "No." Liam regrets inhaling and the rest of the decisions he made today:

"You smell angry."

"I am."

His phone suddenly buzzes with a new text that is from Mason and the light is green again:

'Are u coming?'

they had planned something he can't even remember, after three minutes and a half of deep thinking, his friend's text became an oldie and swam up to the surface of the screen, he finally typed an answer:

'I don't know.'

The car stops again and Liam looks around, expecting the familiar entrance to his house to greet him and congratulate him for surviving so far, the place is familiar, but nowhere near his residence.

He turns to Stiles with a frown:

"This is not my house." Stiles eyes him, unimpressed:

"I know."


	8. Chapter 8

Liam went missing and Scott was the first to notice, more because he had been keeping a very close eye for these kind of things, Stiles doesn't budge when he's asked which only makes it harder to find him:

"He's not answering his phone." Scott informed but Stiles only blinked back. How could he be so nonchalant?!

"Stiles."

"What?"

"I talked to Mason" he arched an eyebrow "he said you were the last person he talked to." Stiles' eyebrows shot up at the information:

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, didn't he say where he was going?"

"I thought he was headed home, I didn't ask though." Scott walks away, frustration eating away at him.

He lied.

._._._.

Liam still wasn't answering his phone and all the people he's asked so far, except Mason, denied knowing anything, Scott couldn't sniff out the whole town for him but he got a better idea.

His Howl.

After all he is Liam's alpha, It's this or going to the sheriff who knew absolutely nothing about the number one suspect (or did he?) and Scott isn't going to be subtle about it, as much as he hates blaming people out of the blue, fingers he doesn't even own are pointing that Stiles has something to do with it.

Scott only had to do it once before Liam turns up at the hospital, with a broken leg.

"What's wrong?" he asks his mom as soon as he spots her there, but Melissa shakes her head and pulls him aside.

"Isn't he supposed to be healing?" she asks, tone reflecting worry, Scott's eyes widen considerably:

"It usually depends on the wound" he says "I have to see him."

"This way." She leads.

._._._.

Liam was lying on the hospital bed and for Scott, it was a major déjà vu, the last time his beta had been in this position, he was still human.

"I got caught in a trap." Liam explained as soon as he saw him, with tired eyes and pale faced "your howl helped a lot get me out of there."

"I thought they removed all of them."

"Apparently not." He winced, Scott did too, internally, because he's Liam's alpha, he just knows when he's lying to him, he doesn't even need a heartbeat heard.

"I have to tell you something." He said, voice thick with something, was it guilt? "I told the sheriff about Stiles."

"Liam..." Scott said but didn't have an ending for that sentence.

"I thought he knew something."

"You should've waited." He said "does Stiles know yet?"

"Probably." Liam answered and things cleared up a little for Scott, so he managed to be sympathetic and ask:

"Liam, you can tell me."

Scott doesn't want to look at the leg, but he also doesn't want to be lied to his face so he looks at Liam's hands, they're by his side from where he's lying on the hospital bed (the irony) and they're almost completely healed.

"I told you."

Scott shakes his head after Liam closes his eyes and quietly leaves the room. Stiles' confession got him wondering a lot about what secrets other people still hid, and if they'd ever tell. Maybe he's just paranoid, but Liam, he's sure, lied.

._._._.

So Scott called for a meeting in his house, determined to uncover the truth. Liam -whose healing process quickened thanks to his alpha- showed up and Scott immediately noticed the change, he was sitting close to him, almost as if seeking protection, it almost looked like he was avoiding Stiles' company at all costs, and if their eyes met, it was always Liam who lowered his gaze first.

Stiles on the other hand didn't seem all that fazed, he didn't keep his distance and wasn't scared, but whenever Liam and Scott were talking he looked warningly at the beta until the conversation died out.

Aside from the tension, there was Malia, who as soon as she heard that Liam got caught in a trap, had a few questions of her own:

"Was it a coyote trap?" He nodded.

"Ouch." Stiles grimaced out of nowhere, from where he was sitting next to Kira.

"Do you remember where it was, exactly?" Scott turned to Liam, he knew Malia wanted to ensure everyone's safety with these questions but little did she know she wasn't going to get any real answers:

"No, it was dark." She raised her eyebrows at that:

"I used to have a very good memory of where the traps where situated, sometimes my muscles would remember for me, and that's how I'd know." Liam stayed quiet after that and Scott realized that this is familiar: Theo was like this and to this day they haven't actually seen each other or, talked about what really happened at school.

"Stiles, It's time you start answering questions." Scott pulled himself out of his thoughts and demanded gravely, taking matters into his own hands "and _don't_ lie."

"Okay" Stiles relaxed into his chair and said "shoot."

"Do you still have a copy of the original files?" Lydia started and Scott kept an ear just for his heartbeat, he should know better than to lie this time.

"No, the dread doctors probably retrieved them when they came back, I haven't seen them anymore."

"And you didn't think to make a copy?"

"The last thing I wanted was for you to find out, I was gonna throw them away but Deaton insisted that they would serve as evidence for when, you know, the time comes." He sighed, visibly trying to shake the nervousness away "but now they're gone."

"Too bad we'll never find out what you are then." Malia commented and Scott noticed that she sounded annoyed, she probably even felt betrayed, he couldn't blame her though, he related.

"You think it's _that_ easy, don't you?" To his surprise, Stiles shoots back with heat, his heartbeat increasing with each pronounced word "that I could just- confess that I've been stabbing you guys in the back repeatedly and that everyone would be happy about it, _right_?" He looks at all of them in a row then settles on his beta "Liam get out."

beside him, Liam freezes and Scott does too momentarily until he realizes what he actually said:

"what?" Liam asks.

"Get out, seriously, _leave._ " he glares at the beta and Scott sees a glint in his eyes, after that, Liam stands up:

"Wait, are you serious?!" Lydia said, completely baffled but he just squinted his eyes:

"Yes, I am, and for the love of god Lydia don't start making assumptions when you have no idea what's going on."

"It's about your dad isn't it?" Scott remarks out loud "you knew he told him."

"you did?" Kira said but Liam didn't have a chance to confirm.

"Yeah, yeah he did," Stiles said "he just had to ruin everything and not even _consider_ asking me first."

"Your dad had the right to know." Scott defended, which only seemed to make Stiles angrier, judging by the fist by his side:

"Not like _that_!" He exclaimed "you should've seen him freak out last night, acting like he didn't know me anymore, like he ought to be afraid of me."

"I can see why he would be." Liam mumbled next to him and Scott inhaled a breath of realisation.

Stiles looked like he was trying to physically retrain himself from punching Liam, the swing landed on the wooden table and he stormed out with no more words, Scott didn't want to try and stop him.

No one moved for a good moment after that. Kira was the first to unfreeze:

"Lydia" she said "I think we should stop our research" and just when her friends were about to protest she added:

"I think I know what Stiles is."


	9. Chapter 9

_The phone rang three times before it was answered, Claudia picked up and tried not to shudder at the voice on the other line:_

 _"Within the next hour" a breath "do it."_

 _And the line was closed._

 _Claudia clasped the phone back down and started pacing impatiently. Maybe there's logic behind this... sick joke they're trying to play. She thought to herself. That- thing cannot possibly be her son._

 _A sudden sound yanked her out of her thoughts, a baby's crying._

 _Did it need food? It probably did._

 _Claudia tip toed her way through the corridor and passed it, going straight for the bathroom where she turned the faucet and watched the water fill the bathtub. When it finally got to a satisfying level did she move to the next room._

 _Forty minutes._

 _The baby was still crying and she couldn't stand the voice anymore, it was loud and made her picture things. Hear things, want to see things._

 _Do it. She remembered._

 _"Come here, you."_

 _she's not sure why she smiled, it wouldn't remember this, it wouldn't know. It would stop crying, that's why she did it._

 _Claudia carried the baby a little in her arms, paced with it as well, would there be a reason to live? They ruined her life and they will keep ruining it until she fails, and when she fails they'll kill her._

 _She won't allow that, so she hurried back to the bathroom where the floor was wet for water has flooded the place, she forgot to turn it off._

 _Twenty minutes, she wouldn't bother undress._

 _"Do you want me to sing you a song?" it kept watching her with those eyes. Watching. They were always watching "huh?"_

 _Her legs were in and the water was hot, but they wouldn't burn._

 _Claudia hummed in its ear an indistinct melody then pulled him into her chest, they both sank deeper into the water that overwhelmed both their senses, when the instinct to pull back up kicked in, she knew she had to fight it..._

 _._._._._

 _"What are the results so far?" Dr Starnell scratched his head and reported said results to his partner, who, he knew for sure, wouldn't be pleased, and neither would be the doctors:_

 _"All of the candidates failed." his partner sighed, reading the paper again._

 _There were rushing footsteps coming their way but he couldn't think about them, not now at least, they said they had the time. They promised._

 _"Doctor Starnell!" a_ _nurse hurried their way, holding a phone up, vibrating with victory, on face a smile of triumph "I have a success." She announced and the doctors' eyes widened along:_

 _"Well that's some good news!" He exclaimed "who is it?" Curiosity taking over again._

._._._.

The pack showered Kira with arguments, they doubted it, told her they can't smell it, that his eyes didn't glow, he didn't show any signs in the past of that but she keeps insisting.

"It's impossible." The alpha tries to convince himself out loud, it should work but it isn't.

"Hey, but what if it's-" Scott knows what Liam's about to say before he says it:

"We've gone past that." He interrupts, it's Lydia who asks this time:

"Suppose you're right" she said "What are we gonna do with this information?"

"Help him." Scott said, almost instantly.

"Help him control it." Kira suggested and Lydia nodded along, voicing the general concern:

"he looked like he was having a really hard time staying calm"

"But you really didn't have to tell his dad." Malia remarked and Scott would've said it if she didn't.

"And he didn't have to..." Liam trailed off but Scott held onto it:

"He did that to you?" Liam held his gaze for a moment, and it was enough to confirm, but he still needed to hear it:

"Yes." He answered and Scott definitely wasn't prepared for it to hurt the way it did "after I told the sheriff, he... offered to give me a ride and..."

"and then he broke your leg." Scott finished, feeling his own heartbeat rising in anger

"Oh my god" several gasps accompanied the revealing.

"why didn't you tell me before?"

"I..." was scared, right? Stiles is going around scaring people, hurting _Liam_ , hurting his own pack while he's sitting here doing nothing.

"Stiles asked me to lock him up before." He said "I should've listened to him."

"mountain ash can't trap him," Lydia reminded and he remained, thinking of something that would.

"How did he do it?" Kira broke the silence, addressing Liam, who averted his gaze elsewhere.

"he just, broke it."

"In the car?"

"No, he said he'd drive me home, and then he started acting weird,"

"weird?" Scott inquired.

"He made me wear the seatbelt" he gave the example and Scott definitely found that strange. Even Stiles didn't wear the seatbelt.

"And then?"

"We stopped at the school, and he changed."

"Changed into a what?"

"I have no clue." He answered "he knocked me out so fast." Scott had to fight not to groan.

._._._.

At the school, the following day, Stiles doesn't show up, Scott texts Theo but doesn't get any reply:

"I think he's still mad at me." Liam kept repeating whenever he saw him and Scott usually replied with:

"I hope it's nothing beyond that." Because if it is, they'd have bigger issues to deal with, they'd have to deal with a missing chimera who was out of control.

As the day progressed, Scott got more worried, especially when the sheriff called, saying his son didn't come home and asking if Scott was with him.

Is he missing? Kept ringing in his mind until the end of the school day when he's walking out with Kira and he gets a scent just behind the corner, to his left:

"Stiles?" They turn around the corner and are met with some... guy clawing at the trash can... with claws while bleeding the forsaken mercury.

"Hey..." Scott states calmly.

"Do you know Stiles?"

"Who's Stiles?"

"A guy you don't know, did he do something to you?" Scott felt like he had to ask, Stiles' scent being on strangers couldn't be good. Especially not when he was potentially missing.

"No one did anything to me!" His eyes started showing a supernatural glow.

"Okay, calm down." Kira tried "how about, you come with us and we help you?" The chimera, for some reason accepts without a fight.

"You found another one?" Liam joins them soon after that and inhales "He kind of smells like Stiles."

"Why do you keep bringing this guy up? I don't know him" he attempts to wipe off the silver substance off his face but fails, because his hands are covered in it, his clothes too.

"what about doctors, do you remember those?" He shakes his head in confusion.

"They'll be coming for you." Liam spoils and Scott shakes his head.

._._._.

They explain to the guy -Jim- his situation, they tell him that he's a chimera, and that the doctors are the threat he needs to escape from. But in the end, no one shows up to... collect Jim and they end up putting their guards down a little before midnight. Malia asks in confusion:

"Are they... late?"

"That's good news, right?" The chimera asks and hope is evident in his tone, Scott remembers the chimeras he didn't get to save and hopes this isn't going to be one of them.

"What does it mean if they don't come for him?" Kira wonders.

"He can't be a success." Lydia refers to the blood loss and the nosebleed he's been trying to stop since this afternoon.

"So I'm saved." He concludes, again with the hopeful tone.

"we don't know yet." Scott answers truthfully.

._._._.

But then they knew, somehow, around four in the morning, Scott's eyes shot open and he realized that they all fell asleep, even Jim.

Jim was there. They didn't come for him.

Scott leaned in to where Kira was apparently sleep talking, or muttering in her case, something she didn't usually do, he lightly shook her awake and she rose in panic:

"What happened? Did they come?!"

"No."

"Is he okay?" She glanced to where Jim was and Scott nodded.

"Kira, about what you told us yesterday, about Stiles."

"Scott, I felt it." she answered and after that, there was a sound coming from the front door, like a knock, but it was a faint. weak.

Scott turned to her: "did you hear that?" She nodded and they both made their way downstairs to check, they had to be ready, in case the dread doctors showed up. There was no more knocking, and if there was Scott couldn't hear it over the pounding rain outside, he took several steps towards the still door and waited a second.

Scott opened the door in one movement, the cold air hit him in the face and he frowned in confusion for a moment before looking down.

Scott let go of the handle and frowned even deeper at the familiar face: "Theo what are you doing here?!"

The chimera didn't move from where he was laying on the floor, he was soaked in rain water, and although there were no visible injuries, he looked like the blood was drained from his face.

"They're not coming." Theo breathed, then his eyelids shut down and so he did. Scott and Kira brought him in.


	10. Chapter 10

Theo takes sometime to heal, and a little more to wakeup but Jim gets curious, fear finally started showing on his features, though his scent was a dead giveaway from the start, it didn't show until now.

"Is he like me?" he asks, before he goes quiet, waiting for an answer Scott knows he doesn't want.

"No, he was bitten." He answers anyway, looking pointlessly over to the front door he'd opened earlier.

"Did the doctors... h _urt_ him?" Scott looks back to the chimera and there's the look he's seen on so many faces before him, it's always the same expression: hope. It's a pattern, the three different stages a typical chimera would go through, and it always ends with hope.

"We don't know yet."

There's nothing after hope.

"So they can hurt him," Jim adds, "even if he isn't like me?"

"Maybe." Scott keeps his ear listening for Theo's heartbeat, deciding not to let the pity he's feeling show on his face... this poor guy really thinks there's safety in the answers he'll get. Kira takes on the questions from there and he's more than thankful for that, at least he gets to not see the reminder of whom he's about to fail, he tries to stay optimistic though, if Theo's awakening clears things up even just a little bit, they might have a chance to defeat the dread doctors, help both Jim and Stiles.

._._._.

"You said they weren't coming." Scott slowly stated, his eyelids almost dropped closed again when Kira woke him up with the news: Theo finally awoke, though weak and healing still, he could answer a few questions.

"The dread doctors, they're not coming for him" he glanced knowingly in Jim's way "they're with Stiles now" he finished and Scott's eyes widened at that:

"They took Stiles?" Theo shook his laugh away with his head, he seemed to find something funny in that statement, the smirk didn't even leave his face as he talked and Scott knew from experience that it takes a real joke to laugh at when you're still healing:

"He took _them_." he winced into his still healing wounds and Scott winced from a woundless pain "I was there." He justified and Scott wasn't going to act like that made it any better.

How could Stiles even get close to _one_ dread doctor without dying?

"With Stiles or..." Kira inquired, her features a little paler than when they received Theo.

"we had things to discuss"

"Was it about that night?" Theo looked away "you were going to tell me but then you stopped showing up for school, what happened?" Scott tried to keep frustration out of his voice but that was hard to do considering he was also angry.

"He broke Liam's leg." Scott added to fill the silence that lingered.

"Lucky him." Theo commented bitterly and Scott tried not to let that statement shake him further "he tried to rip my heart off."

Kira's breath hitched.

"yes," Theo answered Scott's expression, which he's sure, was a strong mixture of disbelief and heartbreak "your best friend Stiles literally tried to rip my heart out of my chest with his bare hands, and you know what's the only thing that stopped him from doing that?"

Scott stayed quiet.

"Because it would've blew his cover sooner than he would've liked." Kira looked his way with a silent 'told you so' dancing between her eyes and if there was malice shining in them he's sure she didn't mean it, except that with his level of irritation and given this situation, it was really getting to him.

Again, they should've _listened_.

They should've noticed.

"He's _void_." came out almost a whisper, he doesn't know if he shivered from the cold, or if Kira's expression hardened because of that information, but he knew once the cards were turned there was no going back, something smelled scared in the corner of the room until Scott remembered and faced him with the 'you really don't want to know' look, that seemed to always work.

"Figured that much" the other werewolf agreed "now, are you in to save the doctors or what?"

"Save the doctors?" Jim quirked an eyebrow "I thought they were out to get me?"

"They're not out to get you any more" Scott reassured him, wearing his determination like an armor "but we're gonna save Stiles." and there was no plan.

._._._.

Scott and Kira had to wake the others through very confusing texts and voicemails, some things like numbers that made no sense translated into simpler ones as the words progressed, and it always ended with a 'texted the location'.

"Stiles hurt Liam for a reason." Scott prompted while they were on their way, trying to fit any piece of information he could get his hands on "he told his dad about him."

That never seemed to work though.

Theo side glanced his way before looking back ahead, he smelled fear after that, like a night alone in the woods. A gun to the head. _Fear._

"You want to know why he hurt me." He stated. Unfazed.

Scott silently agreed.

"He thought that I kidnapped that chimera, Natalie." Theo said, his voice wavering "he didn't even let me explain what was going on when he attacked me" he sighed, still looking ahead "my point is, he doesn't always have a reason, it was just his hunch that time."

Scott felt nausea making its way up his throat, Stiles was really not who he said he was.

"I'm..." He was at loss of what to say, he couldn't apologize for something he didn't do, but he could stop it, and god knows he doesn't want to stop Stiles.

 _If_ he can.

"Look, Scott. you're over thinking this."

"what do you mean?" he asked, the mere idea of the future squeezed his heart then released.

"You're not gonna hurt him." he sighed "I _know_ you're not."

And like sitting on the floor and realizing what you should've said, when your brain finally connects with the rest of your senses. There it was again, the smell he never would've thought he'd catch at this moment: deep black _regret_ reigned the forsaken moment!

Scott stayed wary of Theo for the rest of the ride.

._._._.

"where in the hell are we?" Lydia asked, checking her phone for the accuracy of the location, the awful smell succefully ruined the mood, it was pretty remarkable to find it stank so much considering it was supposed to be a 'secret laboratory'... the dread doctors really didn't care about the safety of their experiments if they left their workplace in that state.

"The dread doctors' infamous laboratory" Theo announced while he navigated with ease through the tricky corridors and didn't so much as grimace at the heavy chemicals' odor that was twisting the werewolves' senses, his wounds not even slowing him a bit, if anything he moved faster than the rest of them.

"I don't like anything about this place." Liam commented, wrinkling his nose.

"You guys are gonna have to be more quiet than that" Theo warned once they reached the stairs "and be ready." For what? Scott could only assume, but what he assumed all along turned out not so exaggerated after all, when they started finding the doctor's 'limbs' thrown haphazardly across the rooms, with patches of blood that he -for once- knew whom it belonged to, Scott knew this wasn't going to be good.

"Do you guys hear that?" Malia stopped in her tracks to listen closer, Scott and the others eventually did too. It was only incoherent static, and it was probably to disorient the supernaturals, Scott realized before Lydia pointed it out.

"I'll find it." she decided.

"I'll go with you." Malia offered and they both followed the sound, to wherever it lead.

._._._.

"How come you know where you're going?" Liam asked once they started moving again, Theo didn't turn around when he answered:

"I came here to look for Stiles" he explained, voice even and controlled, simply because Scott was still wary and could not calm down "he had a whole bunch of stuff to mess with directions, I had to walk through this a lot of times before I found him."

"What happened then?"

"What do you think?" he snarled back, and Scott noticed something else that almost made him stop in his tracks: he was supposed to be angry, he's sure behind the chemicals he smelled at least a little bit angry, then why in the name of dread did his heartbeat stay even?!

and... how come he could hear his heartbeat?

It took Scott nearly two seconds to realize that the static had stopped, and he guessed that was a good thing until he saw Theo stop walking and heard the scream.

It wasn't just one person who screamed though.

Theo took a sudden step back almost tripping the two werewolves behind him, dust gathered all around and suddenly Lydia and Malia were both lying unconscious on the floor.

Scott looked up to see a set of dark eyes staring into his own, the same thing that wasn't right was definitely wrong, and definitely evil.

But that was _Stiles_!

While Scott struggled to decide which side he would choose the other was already set, if the wicked grin on his face was anything to go by. One moment it lasted, the next consisted of dust and silence.

There were no shadows left where darkness found home; the power went off and Scott was choking.


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: the parts in italics are flashbacks :)**

 **._._._.**

 _"He's a nogitsune." Kira blurted, and eyes widened around her._

 _"That can't be." Scott said "We locked the fly away a long time ago, there is no way for it to come back."_

 _"I could smell it on him." she replied "and... when he got angry at Liam, I knew there was no way he could hide what he was from supernatural eyes, and I saw his kitsune aura."_

 _"So he's a kitsune." Lydia concluded._

 _"He's only ever been one kind of kitsune." Kira argued._

 _"Um, since we're all finally allowed to speak about the nogitsune, can I know what it really, did... beside- uhm murder- " Liam trailed off, looking uncertain. Lydia blinked and Kira awkwardly coughed so Scott looked at Malia:_

 _"From my experience, I was told I almost got my head drilled, I don't remember that though, because I got knocked out." Liam nodded knowingly, waiting for the other answers._

 _"It uh- we lost a lot of people, not just our friends, the whole town was in danger, it- it made some of us do things against our will, even Stiles almost lost against him."_

 _"But that can't be what we're up against right now" Lydia said "the nogitsune fought like a fox, never with his bare hands, he had the oni on his side, duplicates and the flies, so I don't see why he would suddenly start beating others up if he could command much powerful tools, assuming he could get out."_

 _"I'm not saying it got out." Kira answered "we already know Stiles is an experiment."_

._._._.

Stiles was so close to him, he could feel his breath on his face, he kept a hold on both his hands, struggling to move, then breathe, then eventually stay awake; the look on Stiles face during this process varied from angry to mildly bored then an eye roll as he released him to the ground, someone from his pack had apparently intervened.

Scott couldn't make out who it was, or what was happening, but he heard enough to know that there was fighting involved.

When he came back to his senses and his eyes flashed red, Scott leaped immediately into the moving shapes he could distinguish, and without knowing it he was protecting Stiles again.

._._._.

 _"you can't ignore your problems forever, we are low on money, and you know this is the only solution."_

 _"I can't let you do that Claudia, not to yourself or our son! did you even read the contract?!"_

 _"I did." she said "and since it didn't do me any harm I'm going to continue the treatment."_

 _"wh- what do you mean continue the treatment?" he almost shouted, a few nurses glanced over to his side. She sighed._

 _"I took the first... injections."_

 _"Claudia!" he shouted, the nurses started walking their way._

 _"I don't feel any different- yes, I'm sorry my husband will calm himself-"_

 _"like hell I am!"_

 _"there's nothing to be angry about, love, it's all already done." He held his wife's gaze for several furious seconds before his shoulders hunched:_

 _"It's gonna kill you." he pleaded._

 _"All the injections are meant for the baby, I'm gonna be fine!"_

 _"Then he's gonna kill you!"_

 _"We all die at some point, right?" she said and he could finally see it, the nonchalance, apathy like the subject bored her to no end._

 _"you know I can't lose you."_

 _"I know, love." she looked away, taking interest in anything but the defeated look on his face._

 _Years later that very conversation, they were one happy family again, parents of a son that liked to be called Stiles, and a few years later, the side effects finally came in, dementia they called it, the Sheriff didn't have time for I told you so's, he didn't even have time for a proper goodbye from her part._

 _All he did after that was focus on his job and the only son he was to ever have, until the supernatural world was revealed to him and one particular werewolf beta revealed that Stiles was also far from normal._

._._._.

Scott brought everyone back after he saw a flash of silver from Stiles' mouth, confirming his suspicions, they now stood facing each other in the dark corridor, Malia looked ready to step in first but Theo held her back, then stood behind her.

"Stiles, we don't wanna hurt you if we don't have to."

"I don't have to hurt, maim or kill any of you either." Stiles simply replied, the others visibly relaxed "even though I really want to."

"Stiles, fight it off." Lydia said and he slowly turned her way.

"That's not how any of this works, genius." He said, and before anyone asked again he continued: "yes, I am void and yes that does mean empty but _only_ partly, the other part if you haven't guessed already had been changing all throughout the years right before your very eyes."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, feeling betrayal sting in his eyes and stomp on his chest.

"It means I get different powers depending on the injections I receive, most of it was druid, for some reason they made the experiment easier to conduct, I only broke a few bones here and there and it didn't draw as much attention."

"How did we not smell it on you before?" Malia asked and a look of regret flashed through his face before he answered:

"because I'm the only close so called member of your pack you think I have a scent that distinguishes me from the other humans, but that's uh- not true, I blame Deaton for lying about that."

"so he does work with them" Lydia concluded, only adding to Scott's sense of betrayal and rising anger.

"No, It was in fact one of Melissa's friends that gave me the injections, but like most corrupt business she's made her leave years even before the doctors made it back."

"What happens if you don't get injected?" she followed up.

"nothing." He said "I'd just be half human with no super powers and a little less... humanity I guess."

"But the nogitsune wasn't an injection?" Kira inquired.

"That's where it gets sketchy, because it's the second stage of the experiment, I get to have the powers from a fly holding a virus of some sort, but I never imagined I would get the real thing, and it would... feel so good."

Scott fought the urge to wince but gave up when he saw Lydia do the same. It not only repulsed him to know how fondly Stiles was talking about the worst part of his life but also surprised him how much information he truly knew about the experiment he had to go through, how many lies he had told all these years just to keep his identity a secret until the time for it to blow up eventually came.

And to think that Scott came first thing to him when he got the bite, didn't even try to hide or deny or lie about it, what a naive person he can be at times.

"Oh for god's sake Scott, stop looking at me like that" Stiles said in annoyance "we complete each other, it's just how I'm born, and now that I'm finally almost reunited with my other half I find myself unable and unwilling to let go of it."

"we're never gonna release it and you know that." Scott replied through clenched teeth.

"Of course." Stiles answered easily "good luck dealing with the nemeton and that one chimera hiding behind Malia right now..."

._._._.

 _Theo witnessed as terror worked its way into Stiles' features._

 _"you have the files." he realized aloud._

 _"yes." Theo said with the most satisfaction he's felt in a while, finally able to blackmail Stiles of all people! if he managed to pull this off he would have the pack to himself in a heartbeat._

 _"yes?" he heard Stiles snort before he saw the terror vanish from his face, mockery taking its place._

 _"what?" Theo asked, fear making him hate the grin plastered on the other's face._

 _"aw Theo," he outright laughed "so you weren't playing around? you really are that stupid?"_

 _"what does that mean?"_

 _"It means, that you don't come after my pack, Theo, because I will rip you to shreds for taking that opportunity from me"_

 _Theo stood speechless for a few seconds before attempting a smile: "so we both want the same thing..."_

 _"No, what we both want is for you to shut up for a second and let us do the talking." he took a several daring steps forward, Theo was too shocked to react before he was thrown on the dirt and fangs far too pointy to be harmless were bared in his face._

._._._.

Everyone turned towards Theo expecting answers, to their surprise Theo looked just as shocked by the revelation:

"the _what_?"

"you're a chimera?"

"and he works with the dread doctors... well, worked anyway."

"first you tried to kill me, and now this? why would anyone believe anything he says when he's _clearly_ trying to manipulate all of us."

"there's literally a whole file with all of your information on it, Theo." Stiles deadpanned.

"I'd like to see that." Theo crossed his arms.

"and I'd like to see you in a circle of mountain ash trying to pretend to be trapped inside because even for me that was hard to fake." Scott looked between the two of them, sure he had his suspicions, and as much as he didn't want to believe that he was lied to by three of his friends in a very short span of time it was hard not to believe Stiles.

Before he could do anything Malia threw Theo against the wall and snarled in his face: "you're a chimera?"

Scott listened closely for Theo's heartbeat since his face didn't betray anything:

"no-"

As soon as Theo's heart skipped everyone was on him.

._._._.

 _"you hear that too, Theo? Scott's coming, and he's gonna have a lot of questions to ask, so what you're gonna do, is you're gonna lie to his face like you always do, with a straight heartbeat and-" he cocked his head to the side "a bit sadder look on your face, don't look too traumatized"_

 _Stiles resumed his place next to Natalie's body then finally made his fangs disappear while Theo shakily got on both his feet and willed all of his senses to a neutral state, it took every ounce of his control not to lose it before Scott even made it to the field._

._._._.

The claws were far more brutal on Malia's part and Theo didn't seem willing to go down without a fight, Liam joined in soon enough and Kira was the only one trying to break them apart since they needed answers more than anything else at the moment.

Lydia stayed alert through all of it, nudging Scott when she noticed something beside the fight because apparently It was chaos for just enough time for Stiles to escape.

Scott caught his silhouette as it vanished behind a corner and made after it.

The chase was brief though the corridors were tricky and Stiles was fast, even faster than Scott suspected he would be; the real nogitsune was somehow able to vanish from one place and appear in another but even for half a kitsune, Stiles was even faster than Kira.

The lights flickered above and the traps became harder to avoid until finally Stiles (who seemed to be aware of the chase) pushed the doors to a larger room open, threw a bunch of papers at Scott then took a seat without losing breath, as if none of what happened earlier even mattered anymore.

"Theo's file, what I left of my file and Ashley's file." he spoke fast, as if knowing the pack would soon figure out his ruse.

Scott quickly scanned through the papers, starting with Theo's, confirming Stiles' claims without losing him of sight.

"If you got Theo still alive make him take you to the nemeton, give this," he pointed at several injection vials on the counter "to any chimera you find there, they'll come back to life," before Scott could argue that that was impossible Stiles continued:

"after that take everyone back to your house or Deaton's clinic and seal everyone in with mountain ash or knock them out, I don't care, as long as they stay inside, seal the hospital, the sheriff station and make sure everyone stays inside, don't come out until I call,"

"Stiles, wh-"

"if I don't call by tomorrow morning, take this," he gestured to another injection vial "you'll find me where I last dropped Liam, he'll know, inject me with this no matter what I say or do."

"Stiles, what is going on?"

"I'll get rid of the nemeton, as I promised." he answered, giving once quick glance at the door "that injection will get rid of my other half and I'll just be good old Stiles again."

Scott felt uneasy at the way he was addressing the matter, it all felt so rushed and uncertain, especially since Stiles seemed so willing to let go of this part of him so easily all of a sudden, did something change that he didn't pay attention to?

"why did you change your mind?"

"I didn't," he said, gesturing behind Scott, he turned around to see vials of various chemicals, tubes, shelves packed with documents, and the pack that was coming through the door, holding a beaten up Theo captive, Scott turned around again and Stiles was gone.

._._._.

 **a/n: if you have any questions just ask :) merry Christmas y'all ^^**


	12. Chapter 12

"He's gone." Scott announced, the pack were now looking around, Lydia ran to his side:

"what is that?" she took the papers out of his hands, the files Stiles gave him before he left.

"what do you mean gone?" Liam asked, still holding a thrashing Theo by the arm, his features were still half human.

"do you see him around?" Theo managed to hiss and got Malia's claws in his back as a response.

"He's not coming back." Theo gasped "Scott, you're all gonna die if you don't listen to me."

"Oh my god." Lydia put a hand over her mouth, Scott saw that she was reading Theo's file.

"You killed your own sister?" Kira, who was just beside Lydia, seemed to be overcome with anger herself, and at that moment, Scott's skin itched, he and enough of it, the whole town was in danger and he wasn't going to wait for Theo to be in a cooperative mood and give him the answers he was seeking, he was tired of the lies and the made up the stories that made no sense when put together and before he knew it, his wolf had taken over and his own pack was telling him to stop.

He had his claws just behind Theo's neck, though he doesn't remember walking there, and then the outside world was just a blur and the memories flooded his vision; an indication of his success.

._._._.

 _It was clear that a fight broke out not long ago, Theo noticed what was left of two of the dread doctors scattered on the floor: heads, limbs, even organs thrown haphazardly across the room and the corridor leading up to it, the walls also didn't survive any if it, blood was splattered across most of them, and on the floor as well, where Stiles was sitting against one of their experimental tubes, the ones they used to extract their poisonous injections, fill their vials or put a chimera to the test, the dread doctors were insane, Theo knew that, but they had the necessary means to fulfill his vision and realize it; Stiles had just crushed what he'd built without consideration and seemed to wait for him to find it, which only helped further fuel his anger._

 _"what have you done?!" he spoke in between his fangs, choosing to forget what had happened at the field that day, he knew he was strong, he could beat Stiles up if he had enough time to use a few of the vials from the top shelves, it's just time and discretion weren't on his side this time either, and Stiles seemed to be well aware of that, when he spoke again:_

 _"Hey, Theo." Theo briefly noticed the blood on his teeth and some of it dripping from his hands "I thought we talked last time?" he quirked an eyebrow._

 _"I did not agree to this!"_

 _"did I ask?" he asked, feigning surprise, Theo's fists were so clenched by his sides hat they withdrew blood but he was still holding back from the fight, he knew if the dread doctor that was left came up right now that he was already dead, especially knowing that they favoured Stiles over him and that the dread doctors repeatedly hinted at how replaceable he was._

 _"ah you dumbass amateur should've never come to this town in the first place" he said, throwing a needle against the counter, it rolled against it until it reached the edge then shattered on the floor, Stiles was already on his feet: "so let's make a deal before I kill mister immortal over there" he grinned "yeah?"_

 _._._._._

His claws detached from Theo's neck after what felt like an eternity, the other's knees gave out and he fell to the floor and everyone was looking at Scott as if he'd grown a third head:

"are you insane?" Lydia was the first to reprimand but he gave no answer, even his vision was still red and his world was still shaking.

"Serves him right for lying to us." Malia's eyes glowed his way.

"Scott? what did you see?" Kira carefully approached him, the fox aura still around her like an armor. He focused his eyes back to their human form, his claws as well before wiping the blood on his clothes:

"Theo will take us to the nemeton" carefully collecting the vials Stiles had gestured to earlier "we'll revive the chimeras and then we'll hide everyone inside, we'll call the sheriff as well."

"wait, did you just say revive the chimeras?" Liam inquired, the others' eyes widened as well.

"yes, if these injections are enough, everyone will be back to life."

"how?"

"Stiles told me." Scott replied a bit too defensively "the dread doctors are already known for messing with the rules of the supernatural."

"It's a trap." Theo seemed to regain enough of his forces to speak "you saw everything, he's gonna kill all of you."

"You don't know Stiles like I do." Scott spat, feeling the boiling of his blood because of what he'd seen.

"But are you sure-" Kira said.

"Yes, I'm sure!" he fired again, getting increasingly angrier, he wasn't sure at all but "what other options do we have?"

"I'm with you," Kira reassured a bit too insistently "and I'll come with you, even if it's a trap."

"It is!" Theo said again "why else would he want you to hide together? why not fight with him?"

"Fight against what?" Liam asked and everyone blinked, looking between Scott and Theo.

"Stiles said that he could stop the nemeton and I'm going to help him with that." Scott announced.

"you know he can't go up against it alone, Scott!"

"you're just gonna let him die?"

"we should at least go with him!"

"I don't agree to this plan."

"me neither!"

"you're all dead either way"

"guys!" Scott interrupted "no one's gonna die" he glared at Theo for that last remark "not tonight."

"Tomorrow morning then, you know he promised I would live, and here I am."

"don't take it for granted." Malia pushed her claws against his side for emphasis and he winced before letting out a laugh.

"this is nothing" he turned to her "nothing compared to what you're all gonna get."

"can I knock him out now?"

"Not until he takes us to the nemeton" Scott said regretfully, packing the last of the vials, and walking towards the door, Theo still smiling...

 _._._._._

 _Theo was tempted to take a step backwards but remained still for the sake of his dignity, or what was left of it, as of now he had lost nearly everything he ever owned and his only chance of surviving was probably too busy mourning his colleagues or engaging in another session of repeating unnecessary gibberish over and over again while he was left here to die._

 _Stiles' eyes didn't leave his for a second as he made his offer:_

 _"I know you want a pack," he started, slowly marching his way "Scott's pack to be specific, you want the true alpha's power and I can give that to you."_

 _"but...?"_

 _Stiles smiled weirdly, then cocked his head to the side again: "or maybe you're not that dumb after all, I do have a few conditions."_

 _"you see, it is not the werewolf part of you that has charmed me into keeping you alive, you could be grateful for that later but what I really need to survive," he was close enough now that Theo could see his eyes gleam and his pupils swallow their color almost completely:_

 _"is food."_

 _Theo swallowed thickly._

 _"and the nemeton doesn't just happen to be my ideal source of food, it is the only one."_

 _"So destroying it, as you may not know, would not only kill everyone including me eventually but also wreck havoc on all this miserable town"_

 _"which," he put a hand on Theo's shoulder and he was so tense that he flinched for a second before regaining his composure, Stiles didn't react to that "means that, five, ten years from now maybe when the doctors are back again, to find us all a jumbled mass of rot, would be... really disappointing."_

 _He stared again at Theo while the latter frowned in thought, what could it imply that the doctors would be back? weren't they killed just now? wasn't one of them also alive somewhere? the nemeton was a beacon for the supernatural but how could Stiles feed from it if he was experimented on just like him and needed injections every now and then? did that mean he was going to release the real nogitsune fly, wherever it was? or did he uncover something that Theo didn't know about and was willing to live half human forever?_

 _"It would be." He finally agreed, deciding to do anything he could to avoid the predatory intelligence that danced between Stiles' eyes, implying that he was entirely discarding his humanity for the moment, which, from Theo's experience looked worse with lights in the room._

._._._.

When they finally made it there and found the bodies of the missing chimeras, Scott and Lydia took care of the injections while Liam, Kira and Malia couldn't trust Theo to not try anything although he remained perfectly calm; Scott was more than relived (and a bit surprised) when the injections worked as surely as Stiles said they would and that no surprised were waiting for them along the way or when they arrived, everything was so calm he couldn't help but get suspicious, his pack seemed to sense this as well as they helped the newly revived chimeras to their feet and started debating on what to do next.

"we should take everyone to safety first."

"I've already called the sheriff about that," Lydia said "but what about Stiles?"

Theo chose that particular moment to attempt his escape, he started kicking, slashing and biting anything in his way as if his very life was depending on it, the element of surprise was greatly in his favor this time as Liam's first instinct was to jerk a bit backwards in surprise which was enough for him to strike Malia first, throwing her against a nearby tree then Liam, by throwing him, with a little less difficulty at both Scott and Kira, the three of them fell down and while the rest of the chimeras were still in a weak, dazed state from coming back from the dead, Lydia was still fully functioning, but before he could move again something knocked him cold on the ground.

._._._.

 _"That's my plan." he said, sweat was now cascading down Theo's face but he couldn't feel any of his aching wounds start to heal yet, the sewn hand from the last dread doctor was still rolling beside his face and Stiles' hands were occasionally dripping blood on him as well._

 _"And I've only got one condition," he said "you make it out of the nemeton alive, and I'll give you Scott."_

._._._.

"Stiles!" Lydia exclaimed, in both surprise and relief, while the other members were already on their feet.

"slight change of plan." he announced, Scott held the last injection tightly in his hand...

._._._.

 **a/n: the next chapter is the last ._.**


End file.
